This study crosses numerous sources, including company archives and interviews, to shed new light on the Suez Canal and its managing firm. This controversial subject has provoked much debate in political, ideological and historical circles, reflecting the monumental forces behind its creation. The study reconstitutes Suez's corporate culture, and its dichotomous place in both Egyptian society and the British and French imperial communities, a duality that led in part to the 1956 crisis. Historical business analysis, illustrations and figures contribute to understanding this phase as well as the firm's ability to create a second life after the crisis.